Today we’d like to introduce you to P.J. Padilla.
Hi P.J., so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always leaned more toward the creative side than the business side. I picked up the drums when I was four and never really put them down. Got into filmmaking early too—by 15, I produced a 30-minute film. Then came photography….and eventually writing. It all kind of came together when I became a music journalist in college. I had a regular music column in a few regional newspapers, wrote album and concert reviews, and got to interview some really amazing artists. I loved every second of it—but, as life goes, passion didn’t always pay the bills.
I got married young—21—and things got ‘real’ pretty fast. Beginning in high school and then all through college, I worked off and on for my dad, Oscar Padilla, who started Oscar Padilla Mexican Insurance back in 1951. Around the time I started wondering whether journalism could really support a future, my dad’s time was becoming more and more occupied by his community and international affairs—especially with the United Nations—and he said he’d love to see me take over the business for him. So in 1981 I stepped in permanently.
44 years have gone by since then and I can honestly say I have no regrets. Sure, I didn’t grow up aspiring to run an insurance agency but it definitely gave me and the young family I was raising stability—and maybe more importantly, the time and space to keep feeding the creative side of me that’s always been there. That part never quiets down. I love it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yeah, generally speaking, it’s been a smooth road. Of course, like any business, there have been natural ebbs and flows. We insure automobiles that go to Mexico and, like any ‘travel’ oriented business, the destination of those particular travelers can work in your favor or it can work against you. As strongly as most people’s passion for Mexico is, so is the element of fear for others, particularly when something significant hits the news. As an example, the 2008-2012 drug war. It crippled anyone in the ‘travel to Mexico’ business. But, all in all, the road has been good to us the past 74 years.
As you know, we’re big fans of Oscar Padilla Mexican Insurance. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Well, we are an auto insurance agency that my father, Oscar Padilla, started 74 years ago in Calexico, CA. We exclusively write coverage on automobiles going to Mexico. Why? Because it’s required by law in Mexico and what most people don’t realize is their auto insurance in the U.S. does not cover them in Mexico and, even if it says it does, Mexico will not recognize it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve explained this to people I meet who had no idea their policy would not do them any good in Mexico!
Dad’s regarded as the industry’s pioneer but there’s also other reasons to be proud of his legacy. He just seemed to always think outside the box! Not only the notion of selling auto insurance for Mexico in the first place but, later, for example opening the first drive-insurance office in the U.S. Back in the 1969 the idea came to him at work, his office next door to a Jack-In-The-Box drive-thru restaurant, he sat there wondering “Why can’t my customers just drive-thru for their insurance?” His drive-thru office made national news and also became an industry standard all along the border.
Lastly, just the fact that after 74 years we are still family owned and operated with the founder’s names still on the business is pretty darn cool. I’ll certainly never change that name.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
That’s an easy one. Until the age of 10 my upbringing was a child’s utopia. Born in Calexico, Ca, back then it was small and quaint. I was ‘Opie living in Mayberry’. I walked just a few blocks to everything….school, downtown, the Little League field, the community park, the movie theatre, etc. My buddies and I were continuously in and out of each other’s homes, playing ball in the street or hanging out at night on the corner under a street lamp. My childhood was amazing. It was a Norman Rockwell painting! Our family may have moved away when I was 12 but those guys I grew up with are still my closest friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MexicanInsurance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mexicaninsurance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OscarPadillaMexicanInsurance
